Sometimes you need to share one single asset with your external collaborators.
For example, you have one single photo that you want to show to somebody. Or you’ve made changes to some particular asset that you want to discuss, and you don’t want to display all other files in this collection.
For these purposes, you don't have to create a website. A simpler and more straightforward solution is a single asset-sharing feature.
There are several ways of sharing your assets:
Open an asset that you want to share with somebody.
Scroll down within the Details panel and find the Share option. A simple switch of the slider will generate a sharing link or a direct URL for embedding that you can copy and distribute in any way you like.
Hover over the needed asset.
Click on the globe icon to open Asset sharing settings.
Select the necessary asset by checking it at the left top corner.
You will see the globe icon in the action toolbar panel, click on it and you will be redirected to Asset sharing settings.
How can I customize single asset sharing?
Once you have shared your assets with the help of the Details panel, you can press Gear icon to customize your sharing in a number of ways in the Main tab. The globe icon in the Action toolbar and on the Thumbnail will automatically redirect you to the Main tab, where you can:
set expiration date;
customize the sharing link;
allow or disallow downloading;
let others view all the previous revisions of the shared file;
let others leave comments about the asset;
allow others to see/change Details panel details (title, description, custom fields);
show others the warning message about Restricted assets;
allow others to see/change Thumbnail details (flags, star rating, color labels).
Tip: Click the eye to enable/disable the visibility of a field and tick the checkbox to enable/disable external users to perform the action.
NB! You can customize the sharing link if you have the Branding feature in your subscription plan.
Comment control setting
To enhance control over collaboration, we have added a new setting Restrict access to internal comments (available when Comments → Show is enabled).
When disabled, both internal Pics.io user comments and external user comments will be visible in the Activity panel of an asset.
When enabled, only external user comments will be displayed in the Activity panel of an asset, hiding internal comments.
This ensures that only relevant external feedback is shared, streamlining collaboration with external clients and internal Pics.io users.
Besides, there is the Security tab on the left which allows you to do the following:
protect your shared file with a password;
enable the confirmation of the consent with terms and conditions on using and downloading the file.
How do I find all the shared assets I have in my Pics.io library?
To do so, just type the following in the search field and click on the 'Search' button:
singleSharingSettings.isShared: true
All the assets shared using the Single asset-sharing feature should appear.
How do I generate the direct link to a file so I can add its preview to a web page?
To form a direct link to an asset:
Open an asset and share it;
Navigate to the Direct URL for embedding in the Details panel and copy the link.
At this time we can generate direct URLs for embedding only for the following asset formats: .jpeg, .jpg, .png.
If you need a direct link for embedding for other file formats, you can create such a URL manually. For that please add your asset ID between 'https://pics.io/preview' and '/thumbnail', so the link should look like this:
To find your asset ID you need to open the asset preview and copy the ID from the URL.
To be accessible your asset should be published or be a part of a shared collection (website).
NB! The current API that generates direct links to thumbnails and previews is deprecated and significantly limited in speed.
If you need fast, reliable direct links, please contact our support team to get access to CDN-based links.